Pir Pagaro VIII arriving for the Namaz-e-Janaza of his father, Shah Mardan Shah. And top, the Hur mourners at the dargah sharif of Khanka-e-Rashdia, where all the Pagaros are buried. PHOTO: EXPRESS

PIR JO GOTH/KARACHI: It was after a night-long, tiring session that 15 elders of the Hur Jamaat, commonly known as Khalifas, ruled in favour of Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, declaring him the spiritual and temporal successor of Shah Mardan Shah, Pir Pagara the Seventh.

Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi alias Raja Saeen, the eldest son Shah Mardan Shah, was one of three aspirants for the elevated position. Sadruddin Shah alias Younus Saeen and Ali Gohar Shah were the two other sons of Mardan Shah, who were also considered but disfavoured by the secretive electoral college.

Custom demanded that there has to be a Pir Pagara on the seat before the deceased Pir Pagara is consigned to his eternal resting place. The 15 elders of the Hur Jamaat, including chief Fakir Qadir Bux Mangrio and Fakir Ghazi Khan, who had come from India, therefore went into a closed-door session Wednesday night that continued till noon on Thursday.

And it was a little before the funeral prayers of the late Pir Pagara that these elders announced their decision and Sibghatullah was asked to occupy the holy seat as Pir Pagara the Eighth in the hall of the seminary. Then the process of the dastar bandi started with the Pir of Jhang, Sharif Syed Siraj Ahmed Jillani, who raised his hand to girt the long turban on his head. The others, including the two younger brothers and other prominent heads of other mystical orders joined in to give a turn to the turban as a mark of respect and allegiance.

The newly elected Pir Pagara VIII, Syed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, 55, started his political career during the era of General Ziaul Haq when he was elected an MPA in the non-party elections of 1985. He was elected to the Sindh Assembly two other times. He also served as minister for irrigation, works and services in the Sindh government.

In the 1988 elections, he was defeated on his home seat of Pir jo Goth but was elected from Sanghar. Pir Ali Taqi Shah, the younger son of Ghulam Qadir Shah Jillani, who was considered a rival of Pir Pagara, won the seat on a Pakistan Peoples Party ticket. However, in the 1990 election, Raja Saeen managed to secure his Pir jo Goth seat by defeating PPP candidate Rahim Bux Wasan, the elder brother of Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wassan.

Raja Saeen was, however, asked by the Hur Jamaat to dissociate himself from politics and concentrate more on the affairs of the Jamaat. Later he went to the UAE and stayed there till 2007 when he was again appointed a minister in the provincial caretaker set-up.

He married a cousin of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. But when his father (Pir Pagaro) divorced his first wife in 1992, Raja Saeen had no choice, but to break his marriage. It was done following a decision of the Jamaat. His second wife is from an Arab family of the UAE.

He has four sons and two of them – Pir Rashid Shah and Umar Shah – are active in local politics.

…May Allah bless the departed soul and bless us all to understand the true spirit of religion! May we stay away from ‘Biddah’ and keep our heads down for Allah almighty only. “Iyya Ka Naubu Du Wa Iyyaka Nastaeen”((Oh Lord Allah) We worship you only and seek help from you).

Another Pir, this is what Pakistan really needs. Hereditary politics is bad but Piri is great! Where are the critics of politics and not Piri? Another opportunity for political parties to land a great pir.

One hopes these piri /muridi exploitation should end by now. This is nothing but exploiting innocent people on the name of religion. All human beings are equal. There is no need to respect any one except because of goodness of a person.

Who paid? Is that a trick question? Barely 1% of the population of Pakistan pays taxes. But clearly they aren’t enough to meet all the expenditures of the country. So, it’s likely that WB/IMF/etc loans paid for this. Which in effect means that future generations paid for it.

@ Pakistani Canadian, Last year government collected Rs.1550 Billion in taxes. This amount was paid by Pakistanis and you say barely 1% of them pay. We all pay taxes, though they are hidden or indirect taxes but still taxes and public pays them. If tax system is corrupt and method is not right, its not the fault of people. Please do not blame general public, people do their job, its government officials who are dishonest and to hide their guilt they blame common citizens.

Excellent!!! And what was Pakistan’s GDP in the same year? Let me help you out. The nominal GDP in 2011 was $210.9 billion. Your figure of Rs. 1550 Billion does not even translate into 10% of the GDP. Not only is Pakistan’s tax revenue contribution to GDP the lowest amongst the world, it is worse than many countries in Africa. AFRICA!!! So pat yourself on the back all you want my good man, but that figure you present should make you drown yourself in shame. And honestly, it is high time we as a nation stop passing the blame onto the next person. Sure the politicians are corrupt. Sure the system is corrupt. But so is the common man in Pakistan. The only way to erradicate corruption from the country is not by electing some idiot who thinks he has all the solutions to our problems, but to own up to our own invidivual corruption first.

@Ch Allah Daad:
@Pakistani Canadian:
Great points. And most Pakistanis think that one man (even Imran Khan) would descend and take care of all the corruption and problems. Unless I stop adding water in milk, fake baby drugs, pay taxes stop stealing water and power, cheation in exams nothing can happen. Thanks a lot for making sense,
Regards,
Mirza

The process was that first the next Pir Paraga (Raja Sain) was nominated with consensus and then the funeral prayers of Late Shah Mardan Shah-II was offered.

I have in a separate statement had already condole the death of the Late Pir Sain Pagara.

Though I was not at Pir Jo Goth to offer my condolences with the bereaved family members, but after the Dastarbandi of Raja Sain, I have congratulated him on becoming the next Pir Sain Pagara.

You kindly read the history of the Hurs and their contribution towards Pakistan and criticize as why I have congratulated Raja Sain after the death of his beloved father.

Every one has to leave the country and it is always the eldest son who become next responsible person after the head of the family passes away.

It is not only a matter of our culture but also the tradition in Pakistan. Since cannot make out from your name whether you are a Pakistani or not, that is one of the reason’s that I have elaborated my views on your comments.

prior to commenting on Pir Pagara , kindly keep in mind he was kind, he was jolly person , he was sportsman and on top of all
he was the only person who remain 100% loyal to pakistan he never used sindhi card.Recommend

Pir Pagara may be an eccentric person for urban men and women. But he is a Pir of his nation and for countless mureeds. I also, being from Karachi, cannot understand people’s love for their Pirs, people who are not religious in the orthodox meaning of the term but claim descent from some great Saint. Shah Mahmood Querishi is another good example of a person who is not religious in the orthodox meaning but nevertheless has a powerful hold over his mureeds.

he was very kind to his mureed his villagers and surroundings nd sind nd pakistan .very very against theif nd dacoits.very hamble sympathatic to each who meets him .he had strong humenetarian values strong memory, very quick replyer. i didnot seen such qualities in any body even did not read in books of such calibre.

He married a cousin of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. But when his father (Pir Pagaro) divorced his first wife in 1992, Raja Saeen had no choice, but to break his marriage. It was done following a decision of the Jamaat.

Find this part weird.

Why did Raja Saeen have no choice and break his marriage based on his father’s divorce, decided by a Jamaat?

Kind of taking ‘like father like son’ literally, where one gets a divorce the other has to too…?!

May almighty Allah rest his soul eternal peace. Ameen. Of course Big loss of the nation and big loss of HUR but all of us will see the 8th PIR PAGARA grand son of SOREH BADSHAHs’ . You kindly read the history of the Hurs and their contribution towards Pakistan and Sindh